Makes: 1 Tree, about 22 men
Prep & Cook: 1 Hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 125g unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar
- ²⁄³ cup golden syrup
- 1 egg, separated
- 2²⁄³ cups plain flour
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 cups pure icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
- Mini Candy canes, red Mini M&M’s, and Christmas stars, to decorate
Method
- Grease four large oven trays. Line with baking paper.
- Beat butter and sugar in a small bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in golden syrup and egg yolk until combined. Transfer to a large bowl of an electric mixer. On low speed, gradually beat in sifted flour, spices, and soda to form a firm dough.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured bench. Bring the dough together. Divide in half. Shape into flat discs. Cover. Refrigerate for 45 minutes, or until firm.
- Roll out each portion of dough between two sheets of baking paper until 4mm thick. Using a floured 9cm gingerbread man cookie cutter, cut out 22 shapes. Arrange on prepared trays, re-rolling dough as necessary.
- Cook trays in a moderate oven (180C), swapping halfway through, for about 10 minutes, or until firm to touch. Remove. Cool on trays.
- Re-roll the rest of the dough between two sheets of baking paper until 4mm thick. Using a floured 3cm star cookie cutter, cut out shapes. Arrange on prepared tray. Re-roll dough as necessary.
- Cook in a moderate oven (180C) for about 5 minutes, or until firm to touch. Remove. Cool on tray.
- To make the icing, lightly beat egg white in a medium bowl. Gradually beat in sifted icing sugar until stiff peaks form and a smooth, thick piping consistency. Transfer icing to a snap-lock bag. Squeeze into one corner. Twist bag. Snip tip as needed.
- Arrange gingerbread men, one by one, slightly overlapping on a large board in the shape of a tree using icing as glue.
- Pipe icing over the tree, as pictured. Dust gingerbread stars with sifted icing sugar. Decorate the tree with candy canes, Christmas stars, ribbon, gingerbread stars and M&M’s using icing as glue.